Nyoko of Pure Blood Clan
by Nuqie Noila
Summary: Story about Nyoko, the member of a long lost clan, who was on a mission to fulfill her sister's will by escaping their village along with her two relatives, Toichi and Yoson.
1. Prologue : Three Memorial Days

Three Memorials Days was just around the corner. Not just The Village of Hidden Leaves, all other countries also participated the tradition that was made after The Great War against Madara ended. Memorial Days that's not only ended in a day, but three. On the first day, people of each country would gather and pay respect to those who died in the wars that had happened throughout the Shinobi history. List and list of names will be read, names of their beloved ones, and not to be forgotten, names of their respected opponents, who, apart of causing grief to the people, also made them become stronger and closer together.

On the end of the first day, all Shinobi from all over the world will go to the places where their respected ones had fallen. It doesn't matter if it's their beloved ones or the ones they defeated to death. Or maybe the last place they met the person who never return back to them. Some will bring their children, to tell the same story as any other Memorial Days. All Shinobi will have free access into any country during these three days. People will meet the ones they fought alongside with, even from the other countries, or maybe people that they had fought once. It's not important. The memories will keep flooding in their minds. How nostalgic. And that was how the Second Day passed.

Those who wished to stay at their chosen places would stay, while others will go back to their respected countries. The final day of Three Memorial Days was not like the other two days that filled with sadness or longing, but more like a festival. The most favorite day out of the three for young Shinobi. Filled with shows and performances, a festival like no other. Each shows and performances will re-enact almost every significant and big event that ever occurred in the past. Storytellers, consist of those who even had been to the war will tell all kinds of stories to the youngsters. Stories that had been repeated for so many times, stories that no one doesn't know. But those stories are one of the keys to strengthen the spirit of Shinobi inside the heart of those little children who have never experienced pain, and I hope, never will.

And that's how Three Memorial Days passed each year. Three days that will remind them of the history that patched with blood and darkness, also with hope and determination, not to forget, love and hatred. Yes. It's getting near. People would become busier than ever. They also nearly arrived, and are on pursuit of one man. But, that's not the only reason they came. They escaped.


	2. Chapter 1 : The Present Konoha

A woman, possibly in her mid-twenties, was walking down the busy road of Konoha, amazed by everything she saw. Two men, one with face well hidden, accompanied the woman.

"Lady Nyoko, are you sure we are at the right place? It's not even seemed the same as depicted in The Vault," said the man whose face was uncovered.

"Hundreds of years had passed after we've gone into hiding. Of course it's not the same. But, I'm very sure that I'm not mistaken. That," while pointing at The First Hokage large face stone, "is Hashirama Senju. And I think the one beside him was his brother, Tobirama Senju. Well, I don't know whose faces that come after them, but maybe they were the leaders of this country. And thus, I assume that he," by pointing at Naruto face stone, "is the current leader, or Hokage. The Vault depicted that during the last moments of our clan with Shinobi, Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara built this country and carved the face of Hashirama on top of the mountain. And as you well know, I learnt about Hashirama's face while studying physiognomy. That's why I recognized him, Yoson," Nyoko explained.

"So we're _really_ in Konoha? Wah~ after all these years, it's still unbelievable that we're the first ones who got out from the hiding. Thanks to you, we have a solid reason to get out from that cramped village, although it seems that we're escaping," Yoson joked and pat the guy who covered his face.

Nyoko stared at Naruto face stone. _His face… I think I have learnt that face structure somehow. Just who is it similar with?_

"I think we have to keep going. People are staring at us weirdly," said Yoson.

While it's true that people were staring, but not at all of them, only at Nyoko. Her beauty, it's not exaggerated to say that it's very breath taking. No such beauty had been seen by the people of Konoha. The men can't help but stared at her in awe while there were among the women who seemed to be jealous of her beauty. Such beauty was the only thing they sew. They didn't realize the secret lurked behind her face. The secret of the darkest of secrets that even history didn't dare to write it down

Nyoko wore back her hat. _It's impossible. After all these years, are there still people who recognize us?_ They began to walk faster than before and tried to ignore the people's stare.

They walked all day long in the streets of Konoha. It's when they somehow arrived at the Ninja Academy that they stopped and watched the children practicing their jutsu.

"Shadow Bind Technique," shouted one of the young Nara clan members. The shadow is casted on his opponent. His opponent, a girl, could not even move an inch.

 _Shadow? Nara clan? But that shadow is awfully short though… And the girl… The red fangs on her cheeks!_

"Arghhh. How unfair! Shiro! Help me!" and then suddenly a small dog appeared out of nowhere and attacked the young Nara. But, before the dog could do anything, it's also trapped inside the shadow.

"You lost again to me, Akira. Let's go home. The school's already over. I have to go back home and help my family preparing for the Three Memorial Days," said the child from the Nara clan to Akira. Or precisely, Inuzuka Akira.

"I'm not even going to fight you, actually. I just want to know how long the shadows that you're able to cast. It's not that long. I think I can beat you someday, Yurui. Let's go, Shiro. We also have to prepare for the ceremony as well. See you later," Akira and her dog left the scene and walked past Nyoko and her men. Yurui and his few friends headed home in a different direction.

 _How interesting. To actually meet the children of the two clans that are written in The Vault. But, how awfully different. Those extremely short shadows and just one very small dog. A dog! They're not seemed to be as great as depicted in The Vault. Have time passed so much that their chakras grow weaker? Hmph. As I thought, these clans would eventually become useless without us, the Pure Blood Clan._

While Nyoko kept thinking to herself, a man in the green vest came and greeted them.

"Erm, hello there. Is there anything that I can help you with? You seemed to be very surprised looking at those children earlier," said Konohamaru to Nyoko and her men.

Nyoko glanced at Yoson. _I told you never show any obvious face expressions!_ She was right. Yoson was completely amazed by the fact of actually seeing the ability of those two clans earlier in front of his eyes. All the jutsus and techniques he saw earlier, he only read them from The Vault and could only imagine how it look like. No wonder that surprised expression was glued onto his face, making him looked more like a weirdo. Logically enough, they needed to avoid suspicion from people around them to protect their identities even though there was high probability that even the name of the Pure Blood Clan was not even existed in the history. Moreover, what kind of people who have never seen a mere Shinobi casting his jutsu? That fact alone would raise any kind of suspicion.

Nyoko kept her posture and faced Konohamaru.

"Oh, hi. It was nothing. We came from a different country and it was interesting to see those children's duel earlier. It seemed like the Shinobi here are also trained as perfectly as other countries as well," said Nyoko, as calm as possible.

 _Oh my… She's so beautiful. Like, freaking pretty. How can this kind of beauty even exist? Who is she?_ Konohamaru was mesmerized by Nyoko looks. His face became red.

"Oh. Erm. Err… Well… From another country, huh? So, did you come to Konoha for the Memorial Days as well?" Konohamaru stuttered.

"Yes, we came to honour our distant relatives who had been killed during the Great War. And, by the way…,"

"Konohamaru-Sensei! Shikamaru-Sensei called you to come to his office, now," said a young girl from a distance. The girl and her friends walked towards Konohamaru.

"Ah, really?! Not again. I have submitted the reports properly though. Damn that guy. Everyone should go back home by now," Konohamaru complained.

"You seemed to be a busy person, Master Shinobi. Well then, we also should get going. Would you please…,"

"Who is this lady, Konohamaru-Sensei? She's so pretty. Oh, sorry for my manners. Hello, my name is Uzumaki Boruto and these are my teammates, Uchiha Sarada and Mitsuki. And you're?" Boruto introduced himself and his friends to Nyoko.

 _Shit, we really have to leave. Why do I suddenly get stuck in this kind of situation? Wait a minute, did I just hear Uzumaki? Uchiha too? Uchiha?!_

"Ah. Sorry for not introducing myself as well. The name's Nyoko and this is my assistant, Yoson. And this is, well…," while gesturing at face-covered guy, "my nephew. I'm sorry but we really have to get going. Would you please excuse us?" Nyoko ended the conversation and walked away. Yoson and her _nephew_ followed along.

"But, wait! Arghh, why do you guys interrupt us? I even barely talked with that lady," said Konohamaru to his students.

"Hahaha. Sorry for that, Sensei. Well, we're going first. See you at the ceremony tomorrow. I hope you will not stay up late for some lame work Shikamaru-Sensei would order you to do," Boruto laughed and leaved Konohamaru. Sarada and Mitsuki also said goodbye to their Sensei.

Just from behind a building near the Academy, Nyoko watched closely of those three young ninjas. _Uzumaki? But, his hair is not red though. And that symbol, the fan… Yes, that girl is surely a young Uchiha._ Yoson and Nyoko's nephew also realized the same thing.

"Yoson, Toichi, let's follow that girl," said Nyoko in a very serious manner.

* * *

The day was getting dark. Sarada nearly arrived at her home when she noticed something suspicious. She's been followed. She turned around and saw the beautiful lady she met earlier.

"Uchiha Sarada, am I right? Sorry about following you all the way to this place, but could you tell me if Uchiha Sasuke is at home right now?" Nyoko asked with a friendly smile. _Am I even right? Is Sasuke really the name of the person we're looking for? I shouldn't be this careless. But… If what that person told me is true, it has to be him. It can only be him._

"My father? No, I don't think he's at home right now. Let me check for a sec. Please wait here," Sarada entered her home while wondering what business that lady had with her father.

"Mum, I'm home. Is father here?" Sarada asked Sakura casually.

"Oh, Sarada. You're already back. Unfortunately, not. But he will join us tomorrow at the ceremony," Sakura answered while preparing for dinner.

"Oh, is that so? Ok, then," Sarada went back outside to relay the information to that lady, but Nyoko already left upon hearing Sakura's answer.

 _Where is that lady? And who is she by the way? She's pretty though. I better not tell Mum about this. She would be very angry if there is any beautiful woman tries to approach Father. But… Should I tell Father?_ Sarada thought to herself while going back inside.

* * *

"We're right. That girl is Uchiha Sasuke's daughter. He will be at the ceremony tomorrow. Take a good look at everyone tomorrow and find a man who bears the Uchiha symbol and look like _him_. We also have to prepare for the ceremony. Yoson, buy us the memorial wear at the market. Toichi and I will look for more information about the Three Memorial Days or whatever they call it. We'll meet back at the inn," said Nyoko.

Fortunately enough, they met a farmer who explained vaguely what this ceremony is all about before entering Konoha. They want to know more about the ceremony because none of this was ever told in The Vault. They would learn something new out of The Vault, which was impossible for the Pure Blood Clan. Throughout their entire lives, they only read and learnt what was written in The Vault. Since they had been out of the hiding, there was a lot of occurrences where the things they saw or experienced were quite different as depicted in The Vault. Things had changed. The ones that was written in The Vault were only the past. And they had to catch up the present. Fast.

"Toichi, we're nearly there," said Nyoko.

"I feel it too, Aunt," replied Toichi, still not revealing his face.

"Since it's Memorial Day tomorrow, let's do it for your parents as well," said Nyoko gently. It had not been that long since her sister, Eiko, passed away. Even though she couldn't see it, she knew that Toichi was so grieved at the thought of his mother.

"Alright, Aunt," Toichi replied in a sad voice.


	3. Chapter 2 : The First Day

_Uh-oh. Everyone wear the same garments. We will not find him by searching the one who bears the Uchiha crest. If we have to look at everyone's faces…_

"How are we supposed to recognize Uchiha Sasuke, Lady Nyoko? We have never met him before," asked Yoson.

"Hmm, just look at the one whose face is similar to Toichi, as simple as that," explained Nyoko.

Everyone, Shinobi and non-Shinobi, old and young ones, the people of Konoha and foreigners, gathered at the place of the ceremony, the Memorial Statue. There was an unbelievably large crowd and it's impossible for them to scan everyone's faces at the moment.

Just then, the crowd suddenly became silenced. Nyoko was puzzled by the sudden change in behaviour of those people. Then, she realized a person had walked onto the stage provided in front of the Memorial Statue. The writings at the back of his coat can be read as 'The Seventh Hokage'.

Naruto turned around and faced his people. As the protocol of the ceremony, Naruto should deliver a speech every year on this event as the Hokage. He hated doing speech. But he hated even more on delivering speech to remind the people of sad and devastated events that happened in the past.

Nyoko couldn't hear what the Hokage was saying. She didn't hear or realize anything around her. She's in a great shock. By looking at Naruto's real face in front of her, even from afar, she became certain of it. _His face, how can it be? That face structure is totally similar to him. How on Earth?_

After the Hokage's speech, there was a moment of silence to respect the deceased ones. A _very_ long moment of silence. It's so silent that there's no even sound of breathing. As silent as an abandoned graveyard. All who gathered recalled the bitter memories of losing their loved ones. Some of them had tears in their eyes. Nyoko also joined in reminiscing her dear sister who just passed away recently before they left their village.

 _I will honour your will, Eiko. No matter what happens._

Just then, right before the end of the moment of silence, Nyoko caught a glimpse of a person who was leaving. _Him! Uchiha Sasuke._ Nyoko watched Sasuke walked away casually from the ceremony while everyone still remained silent.

"That's a bit rude. To leave during this time," Yoson whispered to Nyoko. Yoson and Toichi also noticed the person they're looking for.

"Should we leave as well and follow him?" asked Toichi.

"You guys stay here. I will follow him," replied Nyoko. She left the crowd quickly and trailed Sasuke. There's a long distance between them and Nyoko fastened her pace.

"Dad! You're already gonna leave? Are you going to _that_ place? You seemed like you want to leave me out again this time. You said that you will bring me with you someday!" Sarada suddenly appeared between Nyoko and Sasuke. Nyoko hurriedly hid behind a tree.

"I'm sorry, Sarada. Next time. I'm sure I will bring you next time. Your mom will go to The Sand Village to honour one of the great Shinobi there. You should go there as well. It would be more fun than being with me," Sasuke tried to persuade Sarada.

"Dad… You said that every year. I also want to hear stories from you. I am an Uchiha but you never tell me a single history about our clan. Somehow, I just know a little bit about our clan from other people's mouth. I know where you're going, Dad. I know you're going to the ruined Uchiha Hideout. That's the only place you had ever been for every memorial. But… I never know the reason behind that," said Sarada. She's obviously felt hurt.

"Sarada…," Sasuke approached Sarada and kneeled in front of her. He placed his hand on Sarada's shoulder and looked in her eyes.

"Whether sooner or later, I will tell you the truth. I will never break my promise. But, this truth will be a difficult test for you. You want to become Hokage, right? Then, make sure you hold to your dream as strongly as possible. Because… When the time comes for you to know the truth, I hope you will not be confused and devastated as much as I did in the past," Sasuke replied in calm manner.

Sasuke continued walking and leaved Sarada behind. Sarada was confused by what his father just said.

 _Hmm.. Just who is the girl behind that tree anyway?_ Sasuke realized someone eavesdropping them.

Behind the tree, Nyoko listened to the conversation between the two of them and smiled. _Truth? What truth? Things have become quite interesting somehow. Uchiha Hideout, huh? It seems like he will go alone. Perfect!_ Nyoko returned back to Toichi and Yoson just by the time when the ceremony had ended. She told them about Uchiha Hideout. They were going to leave when…

"Lady Nyoko, right? Ha ha, we met again here," Konohamaru greeted Nyoko out of nowhere.

"Oh, Master Shinobi. How are you doing, Konohamaru-san?" Nyoko replied.

"So you remember my name. I feel honoured. Erm, do you guys have any plans for the Second Day. Since you're from other countries, I would like to…"

"I'm sorry, Konohamaru-san. We also have a place to visit. By the way, do you know where Uchiha Hideout is?" asked Nyoko. Although annoyed by his sudden appearance, she tried to gain information from him as much as she could.

"The ruined Uchiha Hideout? Well, it's just around the outskirts of Konoha. But you have to walk on a rocky path of a mountain to get there. Just walk in this direction towards the forest and you will reach the place in half day. Err, I'm sorry for asking, but why do want to you go there?" Konohamaru asked. _Is she going there for The Second Day?_

"That's our private matter, Konohamaru-san. Thanks for the information anyway. Then, we will take our leave first. Till we meet again, Master Shinobi," Nyoko bowed to him walked away. Toichi and Yoson followed her lead.

 _Master Shinobi? What kind of old-style manner is that? Why she keeps rushing somewhere?_ Konohamaru watched Nyoko leaving until she disappeared out of his sight.

"We must move fast. We have to reach that place before tomorrow," Nyoko said to them.

Yoson and Toichi nodded.

* * *

When the ceremony ended and the crowd dispersed, all of the people discussed with each other of the places they were going.

"Shikamaru, you want to visit your father's place, right? My family and I are going there as well."

"Yes, Ino, but I want to visit late Asuma-Sensei first. Let's go together. Kurenai-Sensei and Chouji will come along as well."

* * *

"Where will we go? Who will we visit this year, Mum?"

"To your late uncle's place, Himawari. My cousin, Hyuga Neji."

"I hope it's just near here. Last year we went to late Jiraiya-sama and I can't join The Third day festival. This year, I've already bought ticket shows for me and Himawari, Mum."

"Hehe. Don't worry, Boruto. It's not that far."

* * *

"I'm sorry, Sarada. The Sand Village is quite far. We can't make it back to Konoha in one day for The Third Day."

"That's ok, Mum. I'll just join the festival at that country. It's also my first time going to The Sand Village, so I look forward to it. Although it would be better if Dad also joined us."

* * *

"Where will you go this year, Kakashi?"

"I'm still wondering about that. What about you, Tsunade-sama?"

"Jiraiya's place is damn far. I'll maybe just go drinking and gambling somewhere."

"Hahaha, old habits will never change, huh?"


	4. Chapter 3 : Arrived

The day became darker and darker. They finally arrived at Uchiha Hideout before midnight. Walking on their own at such unfamiliar places made them anxious. They kept asking directions from other people who were travelling as well. However, they were careful not to mention about Uchiha Hideout directly, instead they always referred to the mountain that Konohamru mentioned.

Fireplace had been lit. They purposely made their presence to be noticed. Eventhough they couldn't see him anywhere, they knew he would be around here. The night felt so long. A night before everything would be revealed before him.

From afar, Sasuke sensed the presence of other people beside him. Guessing no harm coming from them, he delayed his curiosity to be answered. As if he knew that the people were coming for him, he thought to himself, _it would be better if they came for him instead of looking for me. I don't want to be the only one to pay respect for him every year._


	5. Chapter 4 : The Meeting

Two sake cups were put alongside a bottle of sake on the ground. Sasuke, sitting on a hillside, poured sake into both cups. He drank from one. The other one, he spilled it to the ground. He looked at the ruined Uchiha Hideout and lost in his thoughts.

"I wonder if the dead would be drunk if they drink that sake. Or do they have a better sake than us in the other world?" Nyoko approached Sasuke from behind. She hid her face by wearing a hat. Sasuke poured back sake into the empty cups and repeated the same action.

"So… who died here, Uchiha Sasuke-san? A friend or a foe?" Nyoko continued asking Sasuke in quite sly manner.

"You should know as well. Why else would you come here?" Sasuke answered lazily. He still didn't turn around to look at his uninvited guest. Of course, Nyoko couldn't answer that question. She then decided to stop beating around the bush.

"I'm sorry if I disturb you on this important day and being rude, but the timing can't be any better than right now. I come here from afar to meet you on behalf of someone I loved. And to fulfil her will. Let me introduce myself. I'm Nyoko, a member of _Pure Blood Clan_. And I need to tell you something. As well as showing someone to you," Nyoko removed her hat and revealed herself. Sasuke turned around to face her, and, just like any other men, was amazed by her beauty. However, his expression didn't change and he still felt suspicious of her.

"Pure Blood Clan? It's my first time hearing that. Another Shinobi foolishly wants to challenge me?" Sasuke answered arrogantly although he knew somehow that the girl in front of him couldn't bring any harm.

Nyoko laughed by the idea of fighting Sasuke

"How can, I, someone from Pure Blood Clan could even challenge a great Shinobi like you? We can even be killed by the younger and inexperienced Shinobi easily without wasting much energy," Nyoko smiled cynically.

"I already said, I just want to have a conversation with you. A very long one. Maybe it takes a whole day for me to explain everything for you, just like what I ordered to do, "assured Nyoko.

"Then, start by telling me about yourself and your clan. Then, I will have a conversation with you. You may know about me, but I know nothing about you," said Sasuke, still suspicious of Nyoko.

"Hmph. Just how insignificant we are in the history of Shinobi that even no one knows about our clan? Maybe it's true after all. Our clan is just a tool for all Shinobi like you. I'm going to tell you everything about it, don't you worry. But, first I want to ask you something. As an Uchiha, what is the meaning of a _clan_ for you?" Nyoko tried to test Sasuke.

"What do you mean by that?" Sasuke avoided that question.

"If you don't want to answer that question, then, answer this. How can a certain Jutsu be inherited to one's family in a clan?" Nyoko tried with another question.

"What you're trying to say actually? Just tell me already," Sasuke started getting annoyed with these questions. Questions about clan made him uncomfortable.

"How can a Shinobi of a clan member don't know the answer to this question? It can't be helped then. I won't ask any more about the clan system. But you can't avoid my next question. You must answer it somehow. Do your clan, perhaps, have a person who bears the name of Itachi?" Nyoko tried to give Sasuke a hint.

"Huh? Why are you looking for him?" Sasuke became puzzled. He's confused by the whole situation.

"And, are you, by the way, his younger brother? Is it true that he's already dead?" Nyoko asked for confirmation.

 _Who on Earth is this person? Why did she mention Itachi in this kind of manner? Does she really know who Itachi was?_

"And what if I am? Whether he's dead or not, why does it matter for you?" Sasuke can't stand being clueless any more. By mentioning his late brother, he became more restless.

"I'll assume it's true then. I have someone to introduce to you. Toichi, come out. You too, Yoson," ordered Nyoko. Toichi, still covered his face, walked out of the forest along with Yoson.

"Toichi, introduce yourself. He's your uncle, Uchiha Sasuke-san," Nyoko introduced Toichi to Sasuke. Toichi revealed his face by removing his hat. Nothing could make Sasuke become more surprised than seeing Toichi's face in front of him. From head to toe, he was very similar to Itachi except the hairstyles. He even wore the exact same necklace as Itachi had worn when he was alive.

"How could this be? Who are you? Explain to me! Everything! Are you guys trying to trick me or something? And what's with this Pure Blood Clan or anything you called?" Sasuke became outraged. He's definitely had lost his calm.

"We risked our lives to bring him to you from our village. Of course we're going to explain everything. Let's us sit down first and have a real conversation," Nyoko sat on a nearby stone. Toichi and Yoson stood behind her. Sasuke couldn't take his eyes of Toichi, still didn't believe of what he saw.

"Which ones you want to know about first? The story behind your brother's child, or the history of the Pure Blood Clan?" Nyoko asked, expecting for Sasuke to be more focused in their conversation.

"Tell me about yourself first. Then, explain to me everything you know about Itachi," replied Sasuke impatiently.

"Well, it seems that you're in quite a shock right now. Let me bore you with the long story about my clan first. Moreover, we have all day long to tell our stories, right?" said Nyoko.

"But, Lady Nyoko, we can't just tell anyone about our clan," warned Yoson.

"I've made a promise to my sister. It's Lady Eiko who ordered me to do so," explained Nyoko.

"Now, where shall I start?"


	6. Chapter 5 : History of Pure Blood Clan

I'm sorry to all readers, but while Nyoko telling everything about Pure Blood Clan to Sasuke, I will be the one who explain it to you guys. I'm at best when I'm writing in descriptive manner instead of writing the dialogues that they're having right now. I'm sorry if you're bored with this history-textbook kind of explanation but I will try my best to entertain your curiosity. I should begin telling you right now, shouldn't I?

First, I have to answer the question that Nyoko asked Sasuke. During the age of the foundation of Shinobi, Jutsu of ones Ninja, especially non-elements Jutsu, can never be inherited to their children. It's because the fundamental aspects of the Jutsu itself, which are often being mistaken by just mastering it physically, required the person to alter their inner energy, Yin and Yang, to become one with the Jutsu they created. This inner energy, of course, couldn't be passed down to the next generation. This case obviously doesn't apply to clans with Visual Prowess, Hyuga and Uchiha, and Kaguya clan, who inherited the inner energy from Mother themselves. If a person wanted to master the Jutsu of his or her parents, he or she must conquered their own spiritual energy, which without doubt, was much more difficult than mastering the Jutsu itself.

Although the origin wasn't quite clear, Pure Blood Clan was discovered by chance when a Shinobi came across an isolated village lived by the people of Non-Shinobi. In other words, either they didn't possess chakra or had no means to control it. The Shinobi decided to marry one of the maidens in the village merely because of her beauty. Years later after his child was born, to his surprise, the child managed to master his father's Jutsu at a young age without having to deal with altering his own inner energy.

The Shinobi himself learnt the Jutsu from the very basics from his own father and required years of training to master the Jutsu. A lot of theories were made, but nothing turned out to be true. After a while, the truth turned out to be from _his own wife_. A non-Shinobi, just like any other normal human being. It's believed that because of the aspect of being a Non-Shinobi, ones inner energy can be inherited and so as the foundation of the parents's Jutsu. That's how the Pure Blood Clan got its name. Blood, which was believed to be so pure, that it could inherit others inner energy to their offspring.

And that's how clans were established as well. If there was any Shinobi wished to build his own clan, marrying a member of Pure Blood Clan was a must. Thus the village became so popular and any Pure Blood Clan members were highly respected as any other great Shinobi. It's every Shinobi's dream to marry one of Pure Blood maidens. There were three reasons to marry a Pure Blood members, either to build, to strengthen or to restore one clan.

To avoid unnecessary and powerless clans to exist, Pure Blood Clan made a certain tradition where a Shinobi must presented all Ninjutsu techniques in front of them to make sure the Shinobi was strong enough to establish a clan. And that's how The Vault system was begun. Some members of the clan would record all Ninjutsu they witnessed, in a very detailed way. Although they were non-Shinobi, they were exceptionally great Jutsu analyst. All the Jutsu that's ever been recorded and the lists of the clans that were founded at that time were stored in The Vault.

The clan members did not have family names. The honour of having last name could only be achieved when a woman member married a Shinobi. And then one would be given the title of Great Lady. However, after some time passed, the clan members themselves felt useless in front of Shinobi because they thought they were nothing but a tool to breed stronger Shinobi.

In hope to become more useful and of help for Shinobi, Pure Blood Clan built a strict education system where their members would learn anything and everything that could be useful to Shinobi. War techniques and strategy, medicine, history, Jutsu analysis were some of them. In a nutshell, they learnt all kinds of knowledge ever existed except learning to become a ninja. This made Pure Blood Clan became more important and precious in the eyes of the Shinobi. The Vault became full with all sorts of documents with various kind of information. The Vault served as a source of material not only for Pure Blood Clan but the Shinobi themselves.

If a Shinobi was treated as a dangerous person because of his skills, a member of Pure Blood Clan could be seen as dangerous as well because of the vast amount of knowledge they had. A woman member of Pure Blood Clan who married to a Shinobi was also required to record any significant events happened in the clan. Any new Ninjutsu created also had to be recorded as well. All these records were stored in The Vault to preserve the history of one's clan.

However, as great as the pride of Pure Blood Clan, the larger their downfall. As the age of the war came, a lot of clan members were kidnapped to be of use to ruthless Shinobi. The Shinobi used Pure Blood Clan members as a way for them to find out about their enemies weakness. They treated Pure Blood members as slaves to breed stronger pack of soldiers of Shinobi. During this era, they had to hide their identities in order to survive. They also had to move out of the village and the location of The Vault was remained hidden. Only Pure Blood Clan members knew about The Vault.

Any discovered men or women of Pure Blood Clan were forced to serve numerous Shinobi clans. While some maybe treated them as respected human beings, it's only a little compared to ones who enslaved them. Men of Pure Blood Clan would be forced to marry the women of their clan only with the purpose to give birth to more girls of Pure Blood Clan. Once the girls grew up, they would only be used as a tool to breed strong Shinobi. A lot of members of the clan were also tortured to reveal the location of The Vault and thus resulted in a lot of death. Some clan members who were horribly humiliated by the Shinobi also committed suicide in order for them to stop serving those awful Shinobi.

But, these didn't stop them from fulfilling their purpose as Pure Blood Clan. They still had to record any important events that happened, any wars that erupted and Jutsu they witnessed. Any Pure Blood Clan members who escaped slavery secretly collected these documents from them and stored them in The Vault. Unbeknown to Shinobi, all occasions that ever happened in the history were chronicled by Pure Blood Clan and preserved in The Vault. Hence, The Vault stored a lot of dark secrets and truth about past wars. There was no more detailed explanation that ever been provided by other people about a certain event except from The Vault itself.

A lot of sufferings that Pure Blood Clan had faced. Once the clan they served was in the risk of being abducted, they would be the first ones to be killed mercilessly by their own masters in order to protect the secrets of their clan. If even one of them was survived, that person would reveal all they knew about the clan they served to their enemies. Although wars that happened had created a huge pain for a lot of Shinobi, no pain was greater than Pure Blood Clan's sufferings.

By the end of the age of war, any remaining Pure Blood Clan vowed to stop serving any Shinobi and went into hiding. When Konoha was in the moment to be established, Pure Blood Clan made a secret deal with both Senju and Uchiha clans. They wanted to be free of slavery and go back to their homeland, forever remained hidden and don't want to get involved with the Shinobi world. In exchange for the deal, Pure Blood Clan would support the person to become the ruler of Konoha. The head of Senju clan, Hashirama agreed to the conditions and made a deal with Pure Blood Clan while Uchiha didn't. Hence, in secret, Pure Blood Clan members showed their support for Hashirama and played a small part in making Hashirama as the Hokage of Konoha.

Then, little by little, the remaining known Pure Blood Clan members disappeared without a trace. As well as their traces in the Shinobi history. Since then, Pure Blood Clan lived in solitude and they never came across a single Shinobi in their whole lives. Still traumatised by their tragic history, they also didn't want to go out of their sanctuary. The Vault was restored as well as the clan's education system. Until now, the children of Pure Blood Clan were ought to learn the horrible history of their clan as well as the Shinobi world.

In present, there were two spiritual teachings that divided the opinions of Pure Blood Clan. Minor Teaching explained that Pure Blood Clan should somehow serve and help Shinobi by their side but by not becoming a slave while Major Teaching emphasized that Shinobi would always treat Pure Blood Clan as slaves so they should not interfere in any way with the Shinobi world. However, both teachings taught its followers to forgive all the sins of past generation of Shinobi and be free of hatred towards them. They may forgive, but they would never, ever, **forget**.


	7. Chapter 6 : Another Story

"So, do you know anything about Uchiha Clan?" Sasuke tried to test Nyoko.

"Well, I can't say that I know everything, but I know a lot. Whether it's about their history or Jutsu that ever existed in Uchiha Clan, I've read about them from The Vault," Nyoko answered confidently.

"Then, you know that Itachi was an Uchiha, then," Sasuke guessed.

"No. My sister and I didn't know a lot about him. He might as well know a little about our clan because he was very careful of not telling us his family name. My sister and I were already surprised by the fact of encountering a Shinobi when we met him," explained Nyoko.

"Then, how…" Sasuke wondered how Nyoko could figure out about Itachi's clan.

"It's because of this boy," Nyoko pointed at Toichi. "Now, I shall explain everything about Itachi. Toichi, you might as well pay attention to this conversation. Your mother and I are both sorry for lying to you all this time."


	8. Chapter 7 : Stranger Named Itachi

[Years ago, Pure Blood Clan's Village]

Nyoko, still a small child, helped her sister to find the herbs that Eiko was looking for. Eiko was one of the skilled chemists in the village as well as a great medical practitioner despite the fact that she's only in her late teens. Looking around thoroughly, Nyoko finally found the herbs her sister mentioned. Delighted, she ran towards her sister while bringing some of the herbs with her.

When she arrived at her sister's location, she found Eiko looked like she just met a ghost.

"Nee-san, what happened? Are you alright?" Nyoko asked, worried.

Without answering her sister question, Eiko just pointed somewhere in the woods. Nyoko looked in the direction Eiko pointing to, and was also shocked at what she saw. A stranger, bearing the Konoha village headband, seemed to be unconscious and badly injured and was lying under a tree. He was holding a katana and there were a lot of shurikens and kunai lying on the ground everywhere.

Not far from the place they standing, a mysterious monster seemed to be appeared dead. The monster, which only some of Pure Blood Clan knew, was supposed to protect the village from any Shinobi who entered their territory. That monster was called Itsumade and considered as a sacred creature by the people in the village.

"Nee-san! A Shinobi?!" Nyoko still couldn't believe of what she saw.

"Sshh! Don't wake him up. I will give him an anaesthetic shot to make him paralyse for a while," Eiko carefully made her steps towards the stranger and took out a syringe from her case. She removed the katana from his hand and threw it far. She gave the shot as swiftly as she could when the stranger suddenly woke up and tried to strangle Eiko.

"Nee-san!" Nyoko was so worried of her sister. Luckily the drug became effective in a short time, and the grip on Eiko's neck was loosened. The stranger fell back to his sleep. After calming herself down, Eiko checked on the stranger's condition.

"What are you doing, Nee-san? He's a Shinobi. We must kill him while we have this chance," Nyoko persuaded Eiko in fear of the threat that the Shinobi could do to them.

"His life is not our rights to take. He seemed to be seriously injured. Huh? He was poisoned as well," Eiko, driven by her sympathy, hurriedly gave first aid and tried her best to neutralise the poison's toxins.

"Nee-san, you don't have to save him. We can just let him die here. A Shinobi shouldn't even discover this place," said Nyoko, disagreed with her sister's actions.

"Stop whining. It's against my etiquettes as a physician to just ignore an injured person. Nyoko, collect all these weapons and hide them somewhere. Here, take this headband as well," Nyoko removed the headband and other stuffs that could indicate a person to be a Shinobi from the man. Nyoko collected all the kunai and shurikens as well as the katana and brought them to a hut in the woods where she and her sister used to rest at. She hid them there and hurriedly went back to her sister.

"We have to bring him along to our home. I can't just treat him here. He's already in a critical condition. Here, Nyoko, please carry my case and other things as well," she handed the case to Nyoko. Eiko carried the man on her back and made her way back home. Nyoko was distressed by her sister's act of sympathy. She didn't think that her sister would go that far in order to save a stranger.

Fortunately, their house was just located outside of the woods and at the corner of the village. No one was present when Eiko brought the man to her house. Eiko, although in her teens, already lived independently from her parents and had her house built near the woods on purpose so that she could easily collect specimens and herbs from the forest. Nyoko followed her sister and kept watch of their surroundings to make sure that no one noticed them.

At her house, Eiko tried her very best to save the stranger.

* * *

"Don't try to move or else," Eiko threatened the stranger the moment he woke up. She already placed a few acupunctures on his body to paralyze him. She held a kitchen knife on the stranger's neck as well, willing to take away his life any time.

"If you're trying to kill me, you should have done it back in the forest. Why do you even bother to save me in the first place?" the man answered calmly.

"I'm trying to warn you. Throughout the time you're staying here, you must not cast even a single Ninjutsu no matter how simple or harmless it may be. Do I have your word?" Eiko warned him.

"So I have come to a right place, Lady of Pure Blood Clan. Am I right?" the man smiled, glad that he realized he finally made it to this village after searching for a long time.

Eiko was very taken aback by what the man just said. In a blink of an eye, the man caught her hand and removed the knife from her grasp. He got up and removed all the acupuncture needles effortlessly. Eiko was shocked by his sudden movements and couldn't help but trembled in fear.

"What… What do you want from us? Please… please spare me, Master Shinobi," all horrible stories she read about the evil deeds that had ever been done by the Shinobi were replaying inside her mind. The man stood in front of her, looking at her in pity. _Even after all this time, they were still in deep trauma of Shinobi._ Then, to Eiko's surprise, he kneeled in front of her.

"I just came with nothing but one purpose. Let me honour the late Great Lady that had served my clan a long time ago. Please," he said sincerely.

Eiko was surprised and didn't know how to react to his sudden request. Then, suddenly, Nyoko entered the room with the medicine her sister ordered to bring. Misunderstood the whole situation, she stepped in front of her sister as if to protect her.

"What have you done to my sister?! You damn Shinobi! You deserve to die! You must," Nyoko cursed the man in anger. Eiko tried her best to maintain her composure and resolved the situation.

"Don't be rude to him, Nyoko. He's our guest and my patient. Please treat him like one," Eiko took the medicine from Nyoko and handed it to the man. She still felt wary of him. Nyoko and Eiko left the room after he had his medicine.

Once outside of the room, Eiko lost in her thoughts thinking of what the man just said. _A Shinobi came to honour our worthless clan? What a joke! What I should do if he's planning on something bad to the clan? I can't just sit still. But, he's still seriously injured. He will not capable of doing something dangerous, right? But he just easily escaped the acupuncture paralysis, he must be a strong Shinobi then. He even killed that monster. How did he know about our clan in the first place? And to discover our village on top of that? Who is he?_

"Nee-san, what are you thinking? Tell me the truth. The man is trying to hurt you just now, right?" Nyoko asked. She's still worried over her sister.

"Nothing, Nyoko. Nothing happened, really," Eiko answered soullessly. She headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

"I'm going to stay with you as long as that person is here. I've already told Mum and Dad about this," Nyoko helped her sister in the kitchen as well.

"You told Mum and Dad about that person?!"

"Of course not, Nee-san. I lied to them by saying that I want to study at your place because you can teach me well. That's all. And of course they are not suspicious of anything. Don't worry, Nee-san," Nyoko calmed her sister. Her sister had become more sensitive and cautious. They should be. If anyone discovered the fact that there was a Shinobi in their house, they would be done for.

* * *

Eiko took a deep breath before entering his room. When she entered the room, the man already sat upright, waiting for his dinner. Eiko placed the food and sat in front of him.

"Please help yourself. That's only what we could serve, Master Shinobi," Eiko tried not to displease the man in any manner, afraid of what he capable of.

"Itadakimasu," the man ate the food prepared for him. Eiko just watched him, waiting for him to finish.

Once the man had finished eating, Eiko tried to have a conversation with him.

"Why did you come here? Please tell me the truth, Master Shinobi," Eiko asked.

"You don't have to call me 'Master Shinobi', My Lady. As I said, I want to honour Pure Blood Clan and the late Great Lady that had served my clan," said the man, in convincing manner.

"Don't try to flatter me by calling me that as well. My name is Eiko. What should I call you then?" Eiko had become a little bit more confident.

"The name's Itachi, Eiko-san," Itachi introduced himself.

 _His clan? Oh, I see…_ Eiko wondered why Itachi didn't want to let her know about his family name.

"You said you want to honour the Great Lady who had served your clan, but you don't reveal your family name. How can I trust you, then?"

"It would be best for me not to reveal it because there's maybe a part in the history when our clan had caused a great pain to your clan. I don't want you to view me in a hateful manner. And I'm sorry that I tried to strangle you earlier, Eiko-san. For saving my life, I'm forever grateful," Itachi relayed his thanks in a very thoughtful manner.

"How considerate of you to think of that. We're nothing but a tool to be used by every clan we know in the past. That implies to your clan as well. There's no difference. What's the use of hating when we're not capable of revenge? Hatred just creates more pain. We're still trying to forgive your ancestors as well. However, the sins of the past generation are never inherited to their children, no matter how awful they are. So, I would never hate you without a reason, Itachi-san, as long as you promise me not to bring any harm to this village. And, please don't reveal any of your knowledge about our clan to other Shinobi and keep it as a secret until you die," Eiko pleaded.

"Don't worry, Eiko-san. I will leave once I fully healed and keep the secret to myself. I promise," assured Itachi. "By the way, where are my weapons and belongings?"

"I asked my sister to hide them. I will return those to you when you're about to leave," answered Eiko. She had become quite more comfortable with him. _He seems to be a trustworthy person._

Moments later, Eiko left his room and felt assured of his honesty. She came back to bring medicine and then let her guest alone to have a rest. She didn't realize, however, that her uninvited guest also came with another purpose.


	9. Chapter 8 : The Vault

Itachi woke up from his sleep, drenched in sweat. Maybe because of the aftermath of the poison, he's currently having a terrible fever. It's already been a few days. But, other than bad fever, he also experienced horrible nightmares.

"Another nightmare?" Itachi realized that Eiko was beside him. She was concerned of his condition and took care of him all day long.

"It was nothing," Itachi replied.

"I don't think so. Here, have this. It may calm you down for a moment," Eiko gave a tranquilizer to Itachi. Itachi took the medicine without hesitating. Eiko watched over Itachi until he fell asleep.

 _You seem to have a dark past, Itachi-san. And a very lonely life, on top of that._ Eiko heard Itachi muttering something when he had the nightmare. As if he was talking to a person in his sleep, he mentioned about killing his own parents and his clan. She also heard him mentioning a name.

* * *

Nyoko tried to focus on her studying. However, that man, calmly sat in the living room, always made her anxious.

"Why don't you just stay in your room, Itachi-san? I can easily study if I don't see your face," Nyoko whined. From behind, Eiko hit the back of Nyoko's head gently.

"Stop saying rude things to Itachi-san. If you want to study that much, go back to Mum and Dad's," scolded Eiko.

"But I can easily understand this subject if you teach me. The test is in three days. I don't have much time left," Nyoko argued with her sister.

"War strategy and techniques, huh? It's not something that you can easily learn by reading. You have to think a lot and imagine several scenarios that could happen. You don't have to worry much as you did well on your Jutsu analysis exam. If you get along well with your teammates, then you have no trouble in passing the test. You will have a simulation in an hour, right? That's a very good opportunity to understand how the whole thing works," explained Eiko. She also had experienced the same things when she was younger. Learning various kind of subjects and taking exams. Since she had grown up, she could choose the field she wanted to study further, which was medicine. She also majored in chemistry and pharmaceutical.

"Huh, Nee-san, you're not helping me at all. Fine. I'll leave. Anywhere is better than being in the same room with him," Nyoko still showed her distaste at Itachi. She left the house eventually.

"I'm very sorry of my sister's behaviour towards you. She still doesn't master her spiritual teaching, please forgive her," Eiko apologised in her sister's place.

"Well, it can't be helped. You don't have to feel sorry. By the way, what kind of test she's taking?" Itachi asked, interested to know more about the clan's education system. Eiko, hesitated at first, felt no harm in telling him.

"War strategy and techniques. It's not a test, actually. It's more like a competition. You can consider it to be like a game of chess. The pawns are consists of the characters of Shinobi with different skills and abilities that they will draw before the game. The boards are varied on every game and will have different kind of topography as if on the real world. Along the game, weather on a certain time will also be mentioned. The purpose of the game is to remove all the enemy's pawns strategically. Taking control of enemy by manipulating every kind of resources is the key to win the game," explained Eiko.

"Why would you guys still studying this field if you're not going to apply it in the real world?"

"We want to preserve all knowledge that had ever been existed in our clan. At least, we aren't useless just because we're not Shinobi, right?" Eiko said her stand.

"Then, how can you analyse a Jutsu if you've never seen once? Jutsu analysis, sounds like a joke to me," Itachi smirked.

"You seem to look down on us, Itachi-san. You don't know how much effort our clan had put into mastering this knowledge without being a Shinobi ourselves. It's up to you to believe what I say, but there is no better and more detailed explanation about a certain Jutsu other than what our clan had provided, unless that Jutsu had never been recorded in the first place," argued Eiko. Itachi just remained silent, thinking about something else. Moments later, Eiko left her guest alone, upset by the thought of being looked down on, and continued doing her own work.

 _If what she just said is true, then I should get into The Vault somehow. There's maybe a few records about Uchiha clan, after all._

* * *

It was very late at night when Itachi went out of Eiko's house. He finally could take a deep breath of fresh air after stayed hidden in her house for days. He quickly walked towards the centre of the village, certain of the location of The Vault.

When he reached there, The Vault could easily be recognized. Looked similar to a library, The Vault stood out from any other buildings. The Vault was open for access all the time. There was no need for security as well because all members of Pure Blood Clan treasured The Vault above anything else. So, no person would try to do any harm to The Vault.

Itachi watched his surroundings before sneaked into The Vault. Fortunately, there were no people seemed to be awake at this time of night. When he entered the building, he was astonished with what he saw. Documents piled up against one another, some in scrolls while others in books. There's a lot of sections that divided the interior of The Vault, not to mention the number of floors The Vault had. Some of the documents looked so old that it could easily turn to dust by a slight touch.

Without wasting any time, Itachi quickly searched for the section he's looking for. Either something about his clan or Jutsu, he must find it by tonight.

"I should've known earlier, Itachi-san. Then, it could make more sense to me," Eiko suddenly appeared at the entrance of The Vault. Itachi knew that Eiko was following him. He just remained silent and ignored her.

"If you just said that you want to venture into The Vault, I would easily help you. I should have guessed that you didn't just come here for the sole purpose of honouring the late Great Lady. It just made me more suspicious of you," said Eiko.

"I'm sorry for not telling the truth. I don't want you and Nyoko to know my true intention of coming here," Itachi finally said the truth.

"There's no need for that. I'm more than relieved that you're actually more interested in The Vault rather than our clan. It's an honour for me if a Shinobi wants to seek the knowledge our clan had preserved all this time. Well, enjoy your moments here. If you want to look about your clan, you can search it over there. Documents about Jutsu are upstairs. I can't help you find what you're looking for since you didn't tell me your clan name. But, at least, I can keep a lookout for you if anyone comes, right?" Eiko was eager to help him. The thought of a Shinobi like Itachi travelled from afar just to discover what's inside The Vault made her happy. _We're not that useless, right?_

Since that night, Itachi spent every night inside The Vault and Eiko would accompany him to keep a watch. From The Vault, Itachi gained a lot of information about his clan and every Jutsu that ever been done, along with the forbidden ones.

* * *

That night was quieter than any other nights. While keeping a watch, Eiko watched Itachi from afar. Itachi seemed to be focused reading all sorts of documents, just like any other nights.

 _I think it's a perfect night for it._ Eiko smiled. Although she knew her guest's true purpose of coming here, it wouldn't be a waste to actually fulfill his lies.

"Itachi-san, let's go somewhere else. I want to bring you to a certain place in this village," asked Eiko. Itachi, felt there was no reason to refuse, agreed with Eiko and followed her lead.

Eiko brought him to the temple of Pure Blood Clan. They walked towards one the shrines in the temple. Near the shrine, there was a large board with a lot of names written on it. All the names were written along with the clans names. Itachi could make out some of the names of the clans. He even found the ones with Uchiha names as well.

"These were all the late Great Lady that had served Shinobi, at least all the ones that we could collect, that is," explained Eiko. "Even though you lied to me that you want to honour them, it's not a waste to actually doing it, right?"

"I never said that I don't want to honour them. I just didn't tell you the true reason why I came," Itachi tried to correct her. Eiko was moved by his words. To have a Shinobi paying respect to Pure Blood Clan, it's a miracle that no one would believe.

There was a long silence after that. Both of them were paying respect to late Great Lady. After that, they wandered at the temple and visited a lot of shrines. Eiko explained the significance of each shrine to Itachi. She was very pleased that Itachi seemed to be paying attention of what she's explaining, as if it's a sign of respect towards Pure Blood Clan.

After hours later, they went back home as it's nearly dawn. They didn't want to be in any risk of being discovered by any villagers.


	10. Chapter 9 : The Totsuka Blade

"Nee-san, there's been a rumour going around lately," said Nyoko. Her sister was busy preparing the lunch.

"What kind of rumour?" Eiko suddenly became worried. _What if someone discovered about Itachi-san?_

"My friends said there was a secret scroll hidden inside The Vault. Some said that the scroll was used to keep a very powerful weapon. Yesterday, all kids about my age went to The Vault and looking for the scroll. Then, the elders forced us to leave because we made quite a noise. Funny, right? Nee-san, have you heard the rumour as well? Is it true?" Nyoko asked, curious like any other child.

"Hahaha, that's also the same popular myth I heard when I was about your age. My friends and I did worse than what you did. We listed all the documents and catalogued them in ridiculous manner, making a terrible mess inside The Vault. We were punished severely by the elders at that time," Eiko glad that the rumour was not about her guest.

"Apparently, the rumour maybe was created to make sure the young children will be interested in learning the knowledge inside The Vault. Tell me, while searching for 'that' scroll, you came across a lot of new things as well, right?" Eiko guessed.

"You're right, Nee-san. There is a book that I found interesting. Phy- physi-, is it called physiognomy or something? Whatever. The contents of the book are filled with descriptions to read one's fate just by looking at the face. There's also drawings of some remarkable Shinobi's faces as well," Nyoko excitedly showed her interest in physiognomy.

From the living room, Itachi paid attention to the sisters' conversation seriously. He seemed to have a clue on something. After having lunch, Itachi waited for Nyoko to leave the house so that he could comfortably ask Eiko about it.

"Could you tell me more about the myth you're talking about earlier?" Itachi asked.

"You heard our conversation? Then, you know that it's just a rumour made by the people of this village," Eiko laughed at Itachi's question.

"Just tell me more about it," ordered Itachi in a very serious manner. Eiko was surprised by Itachi's sudden change in behaviour.

"Well, if you insist, Itachi-san. There's a lot version of this myth and I will tell you the version that most of us are familiar with. Urm, well, it's said that a long time ago, there was a Shinobi who created a very great weapon. The weapon was said to be so powerful that even the Shinobi himself didn't dare to wield it, fear of its dangerous power. The Shinobi, afraid that the weapon would fall into the wrong hands, bestowed it to our clan in the form of scroll. The Shinobi had faith in our clan since Pure Blood Clan were non-Shinobi and therefore, could not use the weapon in any kind of way. But we never found that kind of scroll inside The Vault. Besides that, every documents inside The Vault were listed and none of it is overlooked," explained Eiko.

Itachi seemed to figure out something. Eiko was quite surprised that Itachi would be interested in this children-like myth.

 _Could it be… The legendary Totsuka Blade?_

* * *

That night, Itachi was not interested in reading any of the documents. He's determined to look for the _hidden scroll_ as the myth said. He's very confident that he could find it somewhere in The Vault. However, he realised that he would never be able to look for it just by the naked eyes.

"Eiko, could you keep a watch outside? I heard several footsteps near here," Itachi lied.

"Uh, ok," Eiko walked outside of The Vault as requested without any suspicion.

Just then, Itachi activated his Sharingan and scanned his surroundings. He looked through every corner of The Vault. He also went to each floor of The Vault. He didn't overlook even a single spot of the building. He even made sure if there was any false wall that maybe led to a secret room. Well, actually, there's no such kind of room. It's a simple trick, actually, and by the time Itachi figured out about this, he also realized the same thing. _Anyone who did this was genius. He really didn't want the sword to ever be found at all._ Itachi smiled cynically, pleased that he had figured out the trick behind the secret of the weapon that was not supposed to be found.

While searching his surroundings with the Sharingan, he walked towards a nearby row of scrolls and carefully picked one of them. Then he went to other part of The Vault and chose another one. When he had picked four scrolls, all collected from different locations in The Vault, he carefully opened them one by one and laid them on the floor vertically. Among the small writings in those four scrolls, there was a large and bold letter written on each of it. Itachi arranged the scrolls so that the letters would make sense.

 _I found it!_ It appeared to be a vertical code. The large letters were correctly ordered and can be read as 'Sakegari no Tachi' literally meant Sakegari Longsword, which was the other name of the Totsuka Blade. Itachi, who already figured out what to do next, bit his thumb until it bled. He crossed all those four letters with his blood in one swift move. The letters then glowed and a stream of red light were flowing out of the letters, made its way into Itachi's hand. It looked as if Itachi absorbed all the light into his body. After a while, the stream of light disappeared as well as the letters on the scrolls.

Who could have guessed such great weapon would be in the hands of these helpless people? Sometimes, the safest place to keep something in secret is a place that no one would ever think of. Itachi now possessed one of the greatest weapons that ever existed in the Shinobi world. The Totsuka Blade, the weapon that Orochimaru was also keep on searching, but to no avail.


	11. Chapter 10 : The Parting

It's already been two months since Itachi came to their village. All his wounds were fully recovered. However, Eiko still gave him a few medicine on a regular basis.

"You don't need to give me medicine anymore. I'm fully healed right now," Itachi tried to refuse taking any more medicine.

"You have to, Itachi-san. Otherwise, you'll be sicker than before," Eiko persuaded him. Itachi was puzzled by what Eiko just said.

"What do you mean, Eiko-san?"

"You don't know? I gave these kind of medicine since the first day you came here. I thought you know what you're taking, as well as the illness that you're having right now," Eiko revealed Itachi's condition.

"What are you trying to say?" Itachi still couldn't believe her.

"You're diagnosed with microscopic polyangiitis*, Itachi-san. I thought you already know that you're ill, that's why I just keep quiet about it. I figured out your illness when I treated you back then. I'm so sorry of not mentioning it earlier. And not all of those are medicine, some are drugs to just delay the effect of your illness. There is no absolute cure for your disease," Eiko revealed the truth to Itachi.

Itachi couldn't believe of what Eiko just said. He already vowed to himself that he must die on his younger brother's hands. He hesitated for a moment, but managed to ask a question.

"How serious is it? How much time do I have?"

"I'm not a person to predict someone's life, Itachi-san. But with my little knowledge about this illness, it's not somewhere near the future. If you don't strain yourself, that is," Eiko tried to calm him down. Itachi remained silent, still couldn't comprehend the reality.

"Don't worry, Itachi-san. I will provide you with a supply of medicine when you're about to leave," reassured Eiko.

* * *

Nyoko and Eiko accompanied Itachi on the way to the hut inside the forest. Once they reached the hut, Nyoko retrieved all of his belongings and returned them back to Itachi.

"Thank you for taking care of me all this time. I will be forever in your debt, Eiko-san, as well as you too, Nyoko-san," Itachi relayed his thanks.

"If you ever reveal anything about our clan to the Shinobi world…"

"I will never do it, Nyoko-san. I have made a promise with Eiko-san," Itachi tried to reassure the hot-headed Nyoko. Eiko was touched by the fact that he still remembered the promise.

"Here, keep these medicine with you. And we also packed a bento for you as well. And, emm," Nyoko gave both the medicine and the lunch box to Itachi. But there's also another thing that she wanted to give. She took a necklace from her pocket and handed it to him.

"Take it as a gift. It may looks simple, but the necklace had its own purpose. It can help to calm the wearer's mind and stabilize the chakra as well. Please take care of yourself, Itachi-san. Have a safe journey too. Urm, and if you're out of stock of the medicine, you can just come back and visit us again. I will always provide the supply of medicine for you, Itachi-san," said Eiko. She didn't realize that she was blushing at the moment.

"Nee-san, why would even invite him again? Let him be gone for good," Nyoko had enough of her sister's kindness.

"I'm honored to accept the gift. Till we meet again, Eiko-san, Nyoko-san," Itachi bowed as sign of respect and left them. They waited until he disappeared out of sight before went back home.

* * *

After that, Itachi would somehow returned to the village every couple of months. Sometimes, it was only twice in a year. Eiko would always keep the supply of medicine beforehand and waited patiently for his return. Itachi stayed for about three days and left again. Unbeknownst to Nyoko, other than the medicine, Itachi also came to search for information inside The Vault. Eiko always accompanied him to The Vault whenever he came to the village. Eiko also checked on Itachi's condition, worried if it's become worsened.

* * *

[Few Years later]

Eiko could feel it. This would be the last time he would ever came here. She was sure of it. He didn't even take the supply of medicine with him anymore.

"Nyoko-san, you have grown up so big since the first time we met. You have learnt a lot about physiognomy, right? Could you tell what my fate is by looking at my face?" Itachi asked in a friendly manner. He behaved quite strangely this time.

"Well. Hmm. Your fate… Well, I'm not even sure myself, Itachi-san. Just take good care of yourself, then you will always be safe," Nyoko avoided the question. She discovered something just by looking at his face but she didn't dare to tell him.

"That's such a pity, then. You really have to study properly, Nyoko-san, so that you can read my face next time. Please take good care of your sister, too, as well," Itachi said his goodbye to Nyoko.

Eiko stood in quite a distance. She couldn't hold back her tears. _It would be the last time that I could ever meet him._ Itachi approached Eiko, felt guilty by looking at her tears. He gently placed his hand on Eiko's head and brought her to his chest.

"Thank you for everything, Eiko-san. And… Farewell"

Itachi left and never came back ever since.

"What did you read from his face, Nyoko? I know you know something," Eiko asked Nyoko. Eiko also noticed that Itachi's condition had worsened a lot.

"Either because of a man wants to kill him that he would be in a terrible fight and died because of his illness as he's forcing himself… Or maybe because of his illness, he would be killed by that man. Either way, he will die soon, Nee-san," Nyoko revealed the bitter truth to Eiko.

*P/s: I have read a few theories about Itachi's cause of death and this one simply blows my mind. This's also why the name of the illness is a bit weird.

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